New Delhi, Nov 22: It was back to basics for the country's top police brass who got a lesson or two from Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on tackling terrorism.

Rather than chalking out a strategy to deal with terrorism in the country, he preferred to read out the basics of any investigations -- five Ws and One H -- to the gathering of top police and intelligence officials here today.

The minister asked the officials to suggest and discuss what could be done, where and by whom to tackle terrorism which is spreading tentacles in the country.

"The questions that require our immediate attention are: What can be done? What should be done? Where and by whom, the steps should be taken?" said the minister.

"In what fashion, the matters should be dealt with? What should be our short, medium and long term plans prepared for this purpose? How the governments should cooperate with one another? How should they obtain the cooperation of the people? What are the deficiencies? How should they be removed?" said Patil at the conference.

He said happenings in the country were a case study to devise strategy to existing problems.

"What is happening in our country should be studied by us to find effective solutions to the existing problems," he said.

Patil said the number of incidents and casualties that have occurred in the last four and half years is much less than those that occurred before the present period. "Yet, the impression created is that terrorism has increased and is not reduced," he said.

His remark comes at a time when the country has been rocked by 64 bomb blasts in less than six months this year leaving more than 215 dead and over 900 injured.

Bureau Report